Mining-machine truck.



CRL E. WAXBOE, 0F CLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSEG'NE T@ i TUBING CQHFAEWY, A CORFOETIGH @F 0m@ To all 'uf/1 f5 n it may concern."

Be it known that I, CARL J. E. Wnolsi, n citizen of the United States, residing at Columbus', in tbe county of Franklin and State of Ohio, have invented certain nee1 and useful Improvements in Miningninchine '.lirucks, oi which the following is e speciation, :reference being had therein' to the accompanying drawing. e

` This invention relates more particularly to trucks for air driven mining machines.

In transporting miningmacliines from one point to another in a mine, as, for example, from one room to another, in. case the mine is operated upon the room and piller plan, it is customary to provide a. truck upon which the mining machine is loaded, this truck being adapted to run upon the regular mine car tracks. in mines in which the machines are driven by eiectric power it has -been found possible to make these trucks selffpropeiling, the trucks ordinarily being provided with gearing to which the. motor of the mining machine can be connected when, said machine is ioadedupon the truck.

- in the case of air driven mining machines,

however, it has not been found feasible beretoore to use self-propelling ti'uclisbecause of the difcnlty of supplying air to the inacline when it is being moved from piace to place in the mine. in case of the .electric smachines, it is entirely practical by means of trolley Wires and cables to conduct current to the machine While it is being moved from one room to the other; but inv tbe-case of theair driven machines it is not presti' cally possibie to employ hose or other iiexible pipes to supply air to the maclninewhiley upon it.

- it is being moved from place topl'aee. v154) The prime object of the present invention is to provide a selfropelling air driven ada ted for use in mines in which air'isu vas thel motive power.

A further object. is to provide a power propelled truck of this character with; power devlces for loadingv a mining machine The invention consists in tite' ion, a rrangemene, and combination oi parte hereinaterset forth and eieimed:

fn theieecQmPanying drawings,

is i sidieieratlon of my improved track;

"ni'diiggisa planview of the Seine, some said shaft; wiii be speeiseanon of Leners rekent. ?aeente Apr. w, 1915.

applicati@ ined my 1e, 1911. f

Serial. En. 8,410.

of the parts being broken away for the purte strengthen the frame but are designed primarily to carry nechanism which will presently be described. The front bars 3 and i Cary a orward and downward inelined extension 8 which is designedto facilitate the loading and unloading of the mining machine. The frame is supported by track wheels 9, 9 and 10, 10, which are mounted upon axles 11 and 12, said axles ling rotatably mounted in bearings 13, 13 y .and 14, 14:, respectively, on the frame.

15 is en air driven engine arranged beneath and secured to the 'plate 6 of the frame.

The engine can be of any desired form, but,

as shown, it comprises two double acting cylinders and has a crank shaft 15"* towbich secured a pinion 16, This pinion meshes with and drives a spur gear 17 fast on the shaft 18 which is arranged longitudinally of the truck and is mounted in suitable bearings 19, 20 and 2l @cured to the under sides oi the frame piates 6 and 7. At its rear end -tiie shaft 18cm-ries a bevel gear 22, which meshes with bevel gears 23 and 2d loosely mount-ed on a transverse shaft 25. The ears 23 and 2d are provided with clutch toet 23a and 2da, respectively, and e clutch 26 is slidably mounted on the shaft 25 between the gears 23 and 2i, said clutch being keyed on the shaft so that the clutch and shaft must turn together. The clutch 26 can be in an inoperative position, as shown in Fig. 2, or een thrown into operative engagement with either the gear 23 or the gear 24 by means of a. hand lever 27. It is obvious that when. the clutch engages the gear 23 the short 25 Iwill be driven in one direction and when tbe clutch; engages.- the gear 24 driven in the opposite direction. f YT,

v'iflie siletQ at one end carries e sprocket Wheel-.28 which is alined with asprocket wheel 291m. the axle, l2, and the two wheels areeonneeted by a snrocket chain 3i).A 0n the opposite side of tglietmckthe axles ,41,1

and 12 are provided with sprocket wheels 31 and 32 which are connected by a sprocketv chain 33. Vith the connections described it is clear 4that the truck axles and wheels can be driven in either direction from the `en-l 34". 36 is ahand lever by means of which the clutch 35 can be thrown into and out of engagement with the gear 34. A gear 37 is arranged to mesh with the gear 34, the former gear being mounted on a stub shaft 38 which is rotatably mounted in a bearing 39 carried by the frame plate 7,

40 is a reciprocating piston air compressor secured to the lower part of the truck frame and arranged to be driven by suitable-crank and pitman connections from the gear 37.

The compressor 40 has a discharge plpe 41 which connects with a pipe 42 leading to an air tank 43. The pipe 42 extends forward and connects with a pipe 45 from which air is supplied to the engine 15. The pipe 45 is provided with a stop or throttle valve- 46 and the pipe 42 is provided with a similar valve 47 at a' point adjacent the supply pipe 45. The pipe 42 also has a pressure reducing valve 48 which is arranged so that the discharge pipe 41 of the compressor leads into the pipe 42 between the tank 43 and the said pressure reducing valve 48.

'It will now be seen that by closing the valve 47 and opening the valve 46 air supplied to the pipe 45 can be conducted to lthe engine 15 and the latter caused to drive the compressor 40 so as to charge the tank 43 with compressed air, and this can be done While the truck is at rest. Then when it is desired to move the truck the valve 46 can` be closed and the valve 47 opened so as to draw air from the tank 43, the reducing valve '48 serving to reduce the pressure of the air to a suitable amount for driving the engine 15, and thus the truck can be propelled from place to place by means of the compressed air stored in the tank 43.

To'facilitate the loading of a mining machine upon the truck the latter is provided with a Winding shaft or drum 49 which is mounted in suitable bearings at the rear end of the truck.

50 is a. chain connected at one end to the drum 49 and `adapted to be wound upon it. kFor the actuation of the winding drum I provide both hand and power devices, either of which can be used as may be desired. The hand device comprises a ratchet wheel 51 secured to the drum, a hand lever 52 arranged to swing around the axis of the drum and carrying a driving pawl 53 to coperate with the ratchet wheel 51.

54 is a stationary pawl or deten arranged to prevent backward movement of the'winding drum.

In ordeo drive the windin' drum 49 by power I rovide on one end o the drum a sprocket w eel 55 and infront of the drum is a stub shaft 56 which carries a vsprocket wheel 57 in line with the whel 55, the two sprocket wheels being connected by a chain 58. Y The stub shaft 56 is rotatably mounted in a suitablebearing 59 on the truck frame and. carries at its inner end a bevel gear 60. This gear meshes with a bevel gear 61 which is looselymounted on the shaft 18. The gearl carries clutch teeth 61a and a slidable clutch 62 is keyed upon the shaft 18 in position to coperate with the clutcl'teeth 61a. By means of 'a hand lever 63 the clutch 62 can be thrown into and out of engagement with the clutch teeth of the gear 61. When thegear 61 is4 clutched to the shaft 18 it is clear that said shaft, if driven by shaft 56, and it, through the sprocket wheel and chain connections, will drive the finding drum 49. It will be understood that in loadl be readily understood. In moving the mining machine into the room Where it is to be vtheengine 15, will in turn drive the stubv used the truck is driven by means of air previously stored inthe tank 43. VWhen the machine has beenlunloaded from the truck adjacent the face which is to be undercut',V

chine, it being understood that the air sup-v -ply pipes are carried through-the entries of the mine and into the various rooms. VThe valve 47 having been closed and the valve 46 l opened theA engine 15 is now driven by the air entering through the supply pipe 45 and, with'the gears 23, 24and 61 running idle, the clutch 35 is thrown to connect the gear 34 to the shaft-18 so as'to drive the compresser 40.' The latter discharges into the storage tank 43 and thus, whilethe coal is being undercut, a supply of compressed air is being stored in the tank 43: rIhe mechanism can be designed to'compress' the air in the tank 43 to any desired amount, the degree of compression being determined by the relative dimensions oi.` the engine. 15, the compressor 40 and the driving connections between them. A suitable degree of compression would be about twentytimes the pressure in the supply pipes'of the mine.

When the undercutting of the. coal has A been finished the mining machine canbe ,drawn to andv loaded upon the truck' by meansof the Winding drum and chain', the d rurn being actuated either loyv hand or by power sis-inayhe desired. if it is to' he out the valve 47 is opened and air isdrawn from the tank 43 to drive the engine i5,- the pressure or said air being suit-ably reduced 1n passing through the reduction valve 48. The clutch '26 is then thrown into engagement with one or the other of the gears Q3 and 24, according to the direcion in which the truck is to be driven, and the truck is thus propelled under its own power to move the machine to another room, or some other place in theinine Where it'. is to be used. There the same procedure is repeated, that is, the tank 43 is resupplied with air. while the truck is Standing during the undercut' ting of he coal. Of course the tank e3 o the truck can be storedwitn compressed air at any point in the inine entries Where connection can he made with the air supply pipes of the mine.A

What I claim is:

l. In a truck for transporting mining-machines and the like, the combination of a wheel-supported frame, a tank on he frame `for storing elastic liuid under pressure, an elastic Suid engine mounted on thefframe, driving connections between the engine and the truck Wheels, said engine having an inlet conduit adapted to be connected independently of the said tank ivo a source 0f fluid supplyexternal to the truck, and a manuali;Y controllable .connection between the tank and the engine, wherebythe engine can be driven by uid drawn from the tank, substantially as set forth.

2. in a truck for transporting mining machines and the like, the combination of a wheel-supported frame, an elasic iiuid en-V gine mounted on the freine, a winding 'drum 'on the frame for loading a mining machine or the likeupon the truck, driving connections between the engine and the truck wheels, driving connections beizween the engine and the ivinding drum, the said engine haring aniulet pipe adapted to be connected .to a source of liuid suppl;7 independent of the truck, a tank on the truck for snoring fluid under pressure, and connections between the tank and the engine inlet', Whereby the engine can be driven byuid drawn from the tank, substantially as set forth. 3. a truck for transporting mining niachinii'land .the like, the combination of e wheel-supported. freine, an elastic uid en gine mounted on the frame, driving cpnnec tions between the engine and the truck:V wheels, e tank on he truck for storing air under pressure, an air compressor or forc- '7o ing air ino said. tank, driving'connections bewecn the engine andthe said compressor,

a supply pipe for che engine adapted to be connected io a source of Huid supply inde pendent of the truck, and means for comme ducting ainrom the tank eo said engine whereby the engine can be iris-en by iiuiti drawn from the ank, substantially as seiv forth. i

4r. in a trucizfor transporting mining machines and the like, the combination of a. wheel-support@ reme, an elastic iiuid engine mounted on the frame, driving connections between the engine' and thetruck wheels, a tank on the truck for storing air under preure, an air compreor for forcing air into the te r driving 'connections' between the engine an the said compressor, a supply pipe for the engine adapted to he connected to a source of Huid supply independent of the truck, and means comprising a conduit and e pressure reducing device for conducting air from the tank to the inlet o the engine, whereby the engine can he driven by 'luid drawn roinjt-he tenir, sub stantiallg as set forth. 4

5. in a truck for transporing mining machines and the like, the combination of a wheel-supported frame, an elastic iuid engine mounted on the r'anie, e Winding drum mounted on the frame, driving con.- nections between'the engine and the truck wheels, drivingl connections between the enigine and the Winding drum, said engine having an inlet pipe adapted to be connected to the source of fluid supply independeni of the truck, a vtanlr carried by the truck, an air compressor forcing air into said tenir,

Adriving connections between the air com presser and the engine, and means for con- 1w ducting air from the tank to the inlet of the engine, whereby the enginecan lic driven by air drawn from the tank, suhsant-ially as sci; forth.

6. ln a truck for transportingznining 1w:

'tank, a winding drum ai one end of the frame, means or rotating the drum, ande iexible dericeconnected Wih the drum' to be wound thereon and adapted to he con. nected at its other end to a mining machine to haul the said machine along the said smooth bed.

7. In a truck for transporting mining machines and the like, the combination of a Wheel supported frame having a smooth bed alongwhich a mining machine may be slid, an elastic fluid engine mounted upon the frame, driving connections between the engine and the truck wheels, a tank on the truck for storing Huid under pressure, connections between the tank and the engine whereby the engine can be driven by fluid drawn from the tank, awinding drum at one end of the frame, a driving .connection between the engineand the drum whereby the drum can be rotated, anda iexible device connected with the drum to be wound thereon and adapted to be connected at its other end to a mining machine to haul the said machine along the said smooth bed.

8. In a truck for transporting mining mai ,chinese and the like, the combination of a wheel supported frame having a smooth bed along which a mining machine may be slid, a motor permanentlv mounted upon the frame in such a position that Ithe said smooth bed is left unobstructed, driving connections between the motor and -the truck Wheels, a winding drum at one end of the frame, means for rotating the drum, and a flexible device connected With the drum to be Wound thereon and adapted to be connected at its other lend tol a mining machine to haul the said machine along the saidv smooth bed.

9.v In a truck for transporting mining mal with the drum to be wound thereon andA adapted to be connected at its other end to a mining machine to haul the said machine along the same smooth bed.

In testimonywhereof I afix my signature, in 'presence of two witnesses.

CARL J. E. WAXBOMQ Witnesses: v

E. P. SNIVELY, DUDLEY T. FISHER. 

